


The Pull-out Couch

by kcmarie0317



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Co-workers, F/M, Fluff, Office, Pining Hermione Granger, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Break Up, Sad Draco Malfoy, a lot of sexual tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29279760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcmarie0317/pseuds/kcmarie0317
Summary: Draco just got dumped and kicked out. Hermione has a pull-out couch...and a major crush on Draco.*rated T for some cursing but that’s it
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown/Ron Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 58





	The Pull-out Couch

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a lil story a while back and it just seemed to fit for these two. 
> 
> *un-beta’d and not de-Americanized (oops), let me know if there are any glaring errors!!

“Hey,” Draco said, poking his head out of his office. “Can you come in here for a sec?”

I was in the little staff kitchen at the Department for the Regulation of Magical Creatures, minding my own business. Just getting a cup of coffee, listening to The Cranberries (Thank Circe I figured out that spell to allow my iPod to play in the office – it’s essential for when I’m drowning in paperwork, like today), and…okay yeah, I had been staring at him covertly while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. 

I’m not sure exactly when my crush started. I know when the loathing went away – that was sometime after Harry testified for him after the war. Seeing him in that chair...his proud, superior demeanor had all but vanished. Without the looming figure of Voldemort threatening the death of everyone he loved, it seemed like a weight had been lifted off his skinny shoulders. 

Then, after his year of house arrest and the death of his mother, it came out that he donated half the Malfoy fortune to a Muggleborn scholarship program. That’s when I realized how much he changed without his oppressive father around. I almost couldn’t believe it when he then started advocating for other magical creatures – it seemed a little too good to be true. But his actions and fervor at work proved his change of heart. 

It doesn’t help that he’s grown into his lanky frame. Those skinny shoulders? Yeah, not so skinny anymore. It’s really not fair that on top of his gorgeous arms, he dresses impeccably. Swoopy hair, dreamy eyes...I could go on. It was inevitable. 

I looked up from my cup at him and pulled out a headphone to respond.

“Sure.”

I grabbed my fresh cup of gorgeous, tasty coffee and headed into his office, brow furrowed slightly. 

What does he want? I don’t think we even have any more open cases together, I thought.

As I stepped into his small shared office, I noticed his office mate wasn’t there.

“Where’s Doug?“

“Out,” he said. “I think he’s sick, or something.”

“Oh, bummer.” 

Jeez, I sounded dumb. I didn’t care at all why Doug wasn’t there. I was, however, very intrigued by the fact that he closed the door behind me, and I tried to not let my mind get too out of control.

But then he locked the door.

“Umm…”

“So,” he said, smiling and looking kind of nervous.

“So,” I responded, smiling softly back and holding his gaze.

I had such a huge crush on this guy, despite the fact that he had a very long term girlfriend. She’s beyond gorgeous, blonde and willowy, and like the nicest person on the planet, even though she always seemed icy towards me. Maybe there was some lingering Pureblood stuff, but who knows. I’m pretty sure they were arranged back when their parents were pulling the strings, but they genuinely fell in love despite being forced together. Some people have all the luck. 

Anyways, that crush just stayed trucking on, never waning. Not in a whole year. 

And here we were, locked in a small office. Together. Alone. It was almost as if my spiciest, most hidden dreams and fantasies had come to life – definitely too good to be true.

This couldn’t have been the reason he’d asked me to talk to him. 

All right, Hermione, reign yourself in, I thought.

“So, what’s up?” I asked, looking away and sitting down in his office mate’s chair.

“Um, so…this is kind of awkward,” Draco said, sitting down heavily on at his desk and turning towards me. “You just got a place nearby, right?”

“Yeah!” I said. “It’s super close, like right behind the Ministry. It’s amazing.”

“Do you- Would you-“ Draco stammered. “Ah, dammit!” 

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“…Is everything okay?” I asked, furrowing my brow at his odd behavior.

He was easily excitable, yeah, but he usually kept his chill. He usually only got like this when we were stuck on a particularly nasty case. I wondered what was up.

Draco stood up and paced a couple quick steps around his little office. I watched him all the way, half in amusement, half in deep adoration. Crushes, man.

After since things blew up with Ron when I went back to Hogwarts to make up that seventh year, I’ve been mostly happily but sometimes painfully single. I haven’t wanted to meet anyone or try dating – I don’t have the patience anymore. Especially when most guys want to date me so they can tell the boys they’ve fucked the Golden Girl. No thanks. Not here for misogynistic creeps. But Draco...something kept dragging me to him like a magnet. 

“Just tell me!” I said, standing up. “What’s going on?”

He stopped, looking at me, then sighed deeply.

“Do you have a couch?”

“What? Yeah, why?” I responded.

“…I might need a place to crash for a week or so.”

“Oh..?”

“Astoria cheated on me. And dumped me. And kicked me out.”

He visibly shrank with every word. Merlin, how awful. Sweetest person ever my ass. Cold-hearted bitch. 

“Of course you can!” I said, stepping a little closer to put a hand on his shoulder. “You can stay for as long as you need. My couch has a pull-out bed!”

He chuckled sadly. 

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all week,” he said.

And with that, he stepped forward, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Thanks, Hermione. I knew I could count on you,” he said softly into my hair.

His breath tickled my ear and I felt the hairs stand up all over my body.

“Is that all?” I said, muffled into his chest. His broad, firm chest...okay, Hermione, stop drooling. 

“…No,” he said, reluctantly, letting me go. "I guess I should admit that, for some crazy reason – guilt, I’m thinking – Astoria always thought we were in love and that you were going to steal me from her.”

A wry smile danced on his face.

“What?! Hahaha, nooo…” I said, trying to feign incredulity. 

That was too close to home, I thought.

“Yeah, I know,” Draco said. “I don’t know where she got that idea.”

We chuckled awkwardly, as he ran a hand through his hair again and I looked away. I was thinking of that night at the Three Broomsticks, when I awkwardly flirted with him in front of Astoria. I was more than a little drunk and pissed because I had just seen Ron making out with Lavender not a month after we broke up. I wondered if he was too, as our eyes met.

“But anyways,” he said, “I have to admit that...I’m doing this to make her jealous.”

I raised an eyebrow at that.

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “It’s childish and petty and dumb, but I don’t care. I’m pissed as hell and I want to be petty.”

I shrugged at that.

“Hey, I don’t care,” I said. "Be as petty as you want. I did always wonder why she didn’t like me, though…”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Draco said. “It was probably because I talk about you all the time and because of that one time I flirted with you at the Three Broomsticks in front of her.”

He thought it was he who flirted with me?? Oh, my…

We locked eyes at that point, both smiling faintly. I broke the eye contact, unable to take it any more.

“So, when do you want to come over?” I said, pulling out a card with apparition coordinates. 

“Um, after work?” he said, taking the card and turning towards his cluttered desk. "And can you help me grab some of my stuff? I can’t bear going to our place alone. She could be there with that asshat."

At this, he blushed a little. So fucking cute. 

I laughed. “Not a problem! We can stop by there on our way to my place.”

He nodded, looking at his feet.

I touched his arm lightly.

“Draco,” I said, “everything’s gonna be fine.”

He smiled softly and took my hand in his. “Thanks to you.”

It was my turn to blush. He walked forward, still holding my hand. and pulled me closer to him and the door.

“Please don’t tell anyone about this just yet,” he said. “I don’t really feel like explaining it to everyone.”

His solemn, beautiful face was so close to mine that he just whispered the words. I just nodded mutely – I was a little dumbstruck.

He squeezed my hand and released it, unlocking the door. He placed the hand that had been in mine on the small of my back.

“Thanks again,” he said, smiling. “I really appreciate it.”

I felt tingles erupt from where his hand was on my back, and my hand didn’t feel like my own. I just nodded again and walked back to my desk.

I had forgotten my coffee in his office, half drunk, cold, and sad. I was half drunk too, but not sad or cold – I was alive and burning with giddiness. 

Well, this is going to be interesting, I thought, giggling to myself. 

And how right I was.

**Author's Note:**

> Eep let me know what you think!! This is the first story and first fan fiction I’ve ever written, so any feedback is greatly appreciated! 
> 
> I haven’t come up with a plan for continuing this further, but if there’s interest I can try it out!


End file.
